1PIRNEWS

Planning & International Relations ▶ Elizabeth Haus ▶ Tel: +264 61 2072015 email: bbamm@polytechnic.edu.na

Manchester University assist

PON to establish an online Microscopy

Course

Polytechnic of Namibia: Planning and International Relations Department

Newsletter 2013 ▶ JULY Issue

Shirley Bethune:Polytechnic faculty lectures

at Hamburg University

Feedback from Ashley Harbin: a second year student from Park University in

Kansas City Missouri, USA

PON intensifies International Exposure Programme

PON formalises Long Time Partnership

05The number of new MOUs signed during the months of June and July

https://www.facebook.com/Planning.and.International.

Relations

POLYTECHNIC O F N A M I B I A

transforming into Namibia University of Science and Technology

Scholarship Announcement

For further information contact: Ms Taimi Itembu Phone: +264 61 207 2994 / Email: titembu@polytechnic.edu.na

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and The University Centre for Studies in Namibia (TUCSIN) is offering scholarships to pursue a Master’s or PhD in either Namibia or South Africa in all disciplines (except Fine Arts). Interested Polytechnic students, faculty and staff are invited to apply before Friday, 30th of August 2013.

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Ms Shirley Bethune, senior lecturer in the Department of Nature Conservation recently travelled to Hamburg, Germany as a guest lecturer at the University of Hamburg and also to participate in the launching of the “Bachelor Plus” Programme.

The University of Hamburg recently introduced a B.Sc. International Geography degree. This project is funded by the “Bachelor Plus” Programme of DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst/ German Academic Exchange Service).

The Polytechnic of Namibia is one of three universities approached to participate in the “Bachelor Plus” Programme. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed recently to formalise this collaboration. The other two participating Universities are: The National Taiwan Normal University and the University of Mexico.

The focus of the partnership is student

The focus of the partnership is student exchange under the Bachelor of Science in International Geography programme. The “Bachelor Plus” programme is a year longer than the traditional degree, allowing for students to spend one year abroad at a partner institution.

As a guest lecturer, Bethune presented two lectures; one on the wetlands of Namibia and another on ephemeral river water supply challenges based on a case study of the Omdel Dam near Henties Bay, Namibia. Both lectures were well attended by more than 50 students and staff.

While in Hamburg, together with her fellow coordinators from Taiwan and Mexico, Bethune participated in the official introduction and launching of the programme. She also took part in the selection of students who will come to the Polytechnic for exchange in 2014.

“In my role as the Polytechnic coordinator for this programme, I will continue to facilitate the exchange of students from Germany for the length of the agreement”, she explained. Adding that she will assist students to identify potential practical research

PON faculty lectures at Hamburg University

Work and Play: (Top) Shirley Bethune enjoys an outing at a restaurant with University of Hamburg staff, her Taiwanese counterpart and his wife. (Left) After a meeting, Bethune chats with University of Hamburg staff. (Right) Bethune networks with her fellow institutional coordinator from the National Taiwan Normal University.

placements in Namibia, and liaise with faculty members within the Departments of Nature Conservation and Land Management to ensure that students’ academic needs are addressed.

In addition to participating in various meetings, Bethune said she had opportunities for social interaction and professional networking as well.

“We were treated to dinners and took a break from the city to visit the Baltic Sea”, she concluded.

The “Bachelor Plus” programme is a year longer than the traditional degree,

allowing for students to spend one year abroad at a

partner institution.

3

PON intensifies Students

International Exposure

Programme

Ruth Andreas, a fourth-year student in Human Resource Management returned from Switzerland recently after a period of three months. She was attached to KPMG Zürich where she gained practical skills within her field of study.

Narrating her never-to-be-forgotten experience, Andreas said that her internship was under the watchful eyes of Senior Human Resource (HR) Analyst, Markus Reinke and was coached by HR Business Partner for Audit FS Lotti Schneider.

“Not only have I learned the importance of the Human Resource Department in KPMG, but I worked with a dynamic team of enthusiastic people who were helpful and encouraging in work ethics and personal development”, she said excitedly.

Praising her Polytechnic theoretical teaching, Andreas said it helped her immensely and could easily practice what she was taught in class. “KPMG furnished me with skills in diligence, efficiency, persistence, teamwork and taught me that if I do not know something I must always consult”, she narrated. She was impressed by the organisational dynamics at KPMG which she said are incredible.

Detailing her internship, she said she obtained practical knowledge on recruitment processes, competency based interview questions and attended some recruitment interviews.

“In HR Marketing, I organised guided career tours for students seeking to learn more about KPMG”, she said.

“In the Payroll Department, I practically calculated income tax and occupational and non-occupational insurance”.

She worked on maternity and unpaid leave agreements, participated in exit interviews analyses, attended trainings, and was responsible for ensuring that the training venue was up to standard before trainings could be facilitated.

Judging from the experience she gained, Andreas encourages every student to apply for an internship should the opportunity present itself.

“My advice to my fellow students is to apply for international internships and experience other dynamic countries outside Africa”. The KPMG internship was made possible under the B360 Education Partnership which facilitates internships between the Polytechnic of Namibia and institutions in Switzerland.

The Polytechnic of Namibia signed a Memorandum of Agreement with B360 Education Partnerships in August 2009.Since then, 12 students from Accounting, Human Resources, Environmental Health, Biomedical Health and Economic and Finance, participated in internships in Switzerland.

This year alone, five students did their internships in Switzerland facilitated by the B360 Educational Partnership. Apart from Ruth Andreas who returned recently, Ilona Shikongo and Ndapwa Kwedhi both from the School of Economics and Finance completed their internship in May this year, while Elise Uusiku from the School of Management and Michael Lifasi from the School of Health and Applied Sciences will return in November 2013.

Companies which host PON student interns through the B360 Partnership are Swiss Quality Testing Services (SQTS), Credit Suisse and KPMG.

 

PON  INTENSIFIES    STUDENTS  INTERNATIONAL  EXPOSURE  PROGRAMME    

“As  First  Intern  at  KPMG  Zürich-­‐  returns  home”  

 

Sabina  Balmer  (B360),  Anja  Polla  (KPMG),  Lotti  Schneider  (HRM  Solutions),  Ruth  Andreas  (PoN),  Markus  Reinke  (KPMG)  

 

 

Ruth  Andreas,  fourth-­‐year  student  in  Human  Resource  Management  returned  from  Switzerland  

recently  after  a  period  of  three  months.    She  was  attached  to  KPMG  Zürich  where  she  gained  the  

practical  know  how  within  her  field  of  study.    

Narrating  her  never  to  be  forgotten  experience,  Andreas  said  that  her  internship  was  under  the  watchful  eyes  of  Senior  Human  Resources  (HR)      Analytics  Markus  Reinke  and  was  being  coached  by  HR  Business  Partner  for  Audit  FS  Lotti  Schneider.    

“Not  only  have  I  learned  the  importance  of  the  Human  Resource  department  in  KPMG,  but  I  worked  

with  a  dynamic  team  of  enthusiastic  people  who  were  helpful  and  encouraging   in  work  ethics  and  

personal  development”,  she  excitedly  said.  

Praising   her   Polytechnic   theoretical   teaching,   Andreas   said   it   help   her   immensely   and   could   easily  

practiced  what  she  was  taught  in  class..      

“KPMG   furnished   me   with   skills   in   diligence,   efficiency,   persistence,   teamwork   and   that   if   do   not  

know   something   I   must   always   consult”,   she   narrated.     She   is   impressed   by   the   organisational  

dynamic  at  KPMG  which  she  said  are  incredible.”  

Sabina Balmer (B360), Anja Polla (KPMG), Lotti Schneider (HRM Solutions), Ruth Andreas (PON), Markus Reinke (KPMG)

KPMG furnished me with skills in diligence, efficiency, persistence and teamwork.

...Ruth Andreas

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Professor David Denning, a professor of Medicine and Medical Mycology from the University of Manchester, England who visited the PON in July, said his university will assist the institution to develop an online course in Microscopy to support training in Microbiology, Histology and Cytology.

The Microscopy course entails recognising patterns associated with disease under a microscope and differentiating them from a healthy state. The course is being taught at the PON in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, in the School of Health and Applied Sciences.

The online course will host a vast image bank of pathology slides and offer students the opportunity to interact with skilled and experienced microscopists from around the world.

The purpose of Prof Denning’s visit to PON was to investigate local clinical and laboratory capacity and develop strategies to build capacity that will support fungal diseases diagnosis and treatment in Namibia.

Speaking to PIR News before he left, Denning said his visit to PON was a success as tangible outcomes were agreed upon. Apart from his commitment to set up an online microscopy course, the two institutions agreed to establish a local Fungal Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit, which will be supported through the Global Action Fund Fungal Infections (GAFFI).

Prof Denning is one of the leading fungal disease specialists in the world. He has spearheaded the formation of GAFFI which aims to raise funds to reduce illnesses associated with fungal diseases through education, epidemiological studies and development of better diagnostic tests. He is also the founding member of Leading International Fungal Education (LIFE), which serves as a support organisation to raise awareness about fungal diseases.

GAFFI will co-sponsor collaborative research in conjunction with the PON, the Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP) and local hospitals, aimed at improving the diagnosis and

treatment of fungal diseases such as cryptococcal meningitis, pneumocystis pneumonia and aspergillosis.

Prof Denning was the supervisor of Mr Vincent Nowaseb, Head of the Biomedical Sciences Department in the School of Health and Applied Sciences while he was studying towards his MSc degree at the University of Manchester.

University of Manchester assist PON to establish anonline Microscopy Course

The online course will offer students the opportunity

to interact with skilled and experienced microscopists

from around the world.

Professor Sylvester Moyo, Dean School of Health & Applied Sciences (PON); Professor Errol Tyobeka, Special Advisor to the Rector (PON); Professor David Denning, Professor of Medicine & Medical Mycology from the University of Manchester, England; Mister Vincent Nowaseb, Head of Department: Biomedical Sciences (PON)

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For the past three years, the School of Natural Resources and Tourism (SNRT) at the PON has been collaborating informally on biodiversity research with the Wildlife Research Okomitundu Namibia (WRON). WRON is a long term research project of the Zoological Museum Arthur Koenig (ZFMK), a natural history museum in Germany reputed for its expertise in research, documentation, and interpretation of biodiversity. The informal partnership entailed the attachment of PON students to WRON. Since then, two students have successfully completed their research projects.

WRON aims to assess the impact of various land use methods such as ranching and agriculture on the biodiversity of selected animals in the Otjimbingwe area. Focusing on an area of about 500 to 600 square kilometres, WRON encompasses four farms: the cattle ranch Westfalenhof,

and three farms Okondura Nord, Okondura Süd and Kamelbaum that have mixed land use including agriculture, cattle and game.

After having seen the potential to further benefit the PON community, Dean of SNRT, Lameck Mwewa initiated the process to formalise the relationship. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed at the end of July and aims at increasing the opportunities for collaboration in biodiversity research.

Under the MOU, Polytechnic students will gain field experience in wildlife and tourism research. They will also be exposed to biodiversity assessment of large predators such as leopards, brown hyenas, cheetahs, and jackals.

Elaborating on the signed MOU, Mwewa said “WRON staff and senior experts from ZFMK in Germany will provide short term guest lectureships in biodiversity

research and supervise PON post-graduate research projects in Biology and Geology”.

Adding that “PON staff will share their knowledge of soil and flower biodiversity and have the opportunity for exchange visits to ZFMK.” Emphasising the importance of the partnership, Dr. Renate van den Elzen, WRON Project Director, said “the MOU is a product of the deep ties that have existed between WRON and PON”. Adding that it will continue to serve as a testament of her institution’s commitment to developing biodiversity research capacity in Namibia while providing hands on experience to the next generation of Namibian wildlife researchers.

PON Formalises Long Time Partnership

A Seat at the Table (Left to Right): Dr. Renate van den Elzen - WRON Project Director; Kristina Killian - WRON Project Biologist; Lameck Mwewa - Dean of SNRT, Paulina Haikola - International Relations Officer; Prof Tjama Tjivikua - Rector: Polytechnic of Namibia.

(Left to Right): Paulina Haikola, International Relations Officer; Kristina Killian - WRON Project Biologist; Prof Tjama Tjivikua - Rector: Polytechnic of Namibia; Dr. Renate van den Elzen - WRON Project Director; Lameck Mwewa - Dean of SNRT.

PON students will gain field experience in wildlife and tourism research. They will also be exposed to biodiversity assessment of large predators such as

leopards, brown hyenas, cheetahs, and jackals.

6

University of Barcelona & PON: A fruitful partnership “He showed up on a snowy day wearing summer clothing. I had to go to my brother’s house and borrow warm clothes for him.”

Ms Anna Balletbò i Puig, President of the Olaf Palme International Foundation, laughed as she recounted her first meeting with Mr Erling Kavita eight years ago in Barcelona. Kavita, Head of Department: Hospitality & Tourism Management, had travelled to Spain to enter into an agreement with the University School of Hotel Management and Tourism (CETT) at the University of Barcelona (UB). The partnership was funded by a grant from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and financially managed by the Olaf Palme International Foundation.

The aim of the partnership was to: Extend the infrastructure of the Polytechnic’s Hotel SchoolDevelop academic seminarsEngage in joint academic research and publicationDevelop student and staff capacity through exchanges

The agreement formally came to an end in July 2013, culminating in a half day seminar and closing ceremony titled “Towards sustainable tourism in Namibia: management models and trends.” Ms Puig headed a delegation which consisted of a tourism professor, Mr Ramon Serrat, from the University of Barcelona and Mr Jordi Hereu, businessman and former mayor of Barcelona.

During the seminar, Mr Hereu shared his experiences and successes in implementing environmentally friendly and sustainable urban renewal projects. He provided Barcelona as a case study and extolled its transformation from an industrial wasteland in the 1970s

into the vibrant city that is currently amongst the top ten European destinations for tourists. Mr Serrat presented a short lecture on tourism policy and management and provided an overview of tools and mechanisms necessary to create a successful tourist destination.

Her Excellency, Maria del Carmen Diez, Spanish Ambassador to Namibia; Mr Pohamba Shifeta, Deputy Minister of Environment & Tourism; diplomats from Kenya and Indonesia; and representatives from Namibia Wildlife Resorts, Namibia Tourism Board, and Hospitality Association of Namibia attended the event.

Kavita, who was instrumental in the initiation of the partnership revealed: “This partnership was truly a success. We planned and executed efficiently”. He was especially impressed with the infrastructure extension of the Polytechnic Hotel School. He added that the cooperation managed to stay under budget while exceeding 100% of its targets. Puig and Ambassador Carmen Diez expressed their desire for the partnership to continue, saying “it should not be the end, but a new beginning.”

As part of the partnership conclusion, two Polytechnic students will be attached to the CETT/UB as exchange students. Ndapanda Kasaona and Thembelihle Nyati will commence their three months classes in Spain early September this year. Nyati, a Polytechnic international student who hails from Zimbabwe thanked the CETT/UB for making her dream come true and vowed to make the most of the opportunity she was granted. When asked what motivated him to apply for the exchange, Kasaona said, “I come from Sesfontein, where tourism and conservation is a top priority. I would love to come back with new ideas and as many skills as possible to help my community develop and maximise benefits from tourism.”

While, in Barcelona, they will study tourism planning, tourism project management, real estate management in tourism and tourism people management.

Awarded: (L-R) Ndapanda Kasaona, HE Maria del Carmen Diez, Thembi

Nyati and Prof Tjama Tjivikua

Handover: (L-R) Ndapanda Kasaona, receives his ticket from HE Maria del Carmen Diez, Spanish Embassador

to Namibia

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Indeed, the partnership is worth sustaining once one sees the achievements that resulted from it. It was through the partnership that a restaurant, a swimming pool, 13 class rooms, 18 offices and four boardrooms where added to the Hotel School (see Table 1).

Fifteen Polytechnic students and staff have also benefitted from the partnership with CETT/UB through study tours and exchanges to Barcelona. For both students and staff, their trips to Barcelona were opportunities to learn and grow in their fields and hone their crafts.

Table 1: A Prolific Partnership1 restaurant2 Seminars1 swimming pool13 rooms18 offices 4 boardrooms6 PoN staff to Barcelona7 CETT UB visitors to Namibia9 PoN students to BarcelonaPublications in 2 academic journals3 community outreach trainingsCurriculum development in hospitality and tourism

While staff trips lasted about a month, students went for at least three months or more. Some students maximised their opportunity in Barcelona to an impressive degree. Former Polytechnic students, Gregory Feris and Isobella Green managed to complete their masters degrees within the short time they were on exchange at the University of Barcelona. Like other students who benefited from the exchange opportunity, Feris and Green are currently working in the tourism industry using the knowledge and skills they gained through the partnership. Meanwhile, staff members continue to use what they learned to improve their teaching and management duties at the Polytechnic. Staff members who also travelled to Spain are, lecturers Ms Uaarukapo Tjitunga, Ms Petrina Haufiku and Food and Beverage Instructor Mr Lovemore Mahoshi.

The funding, and exchanges might have ended formally, but joint academic writing and publications on topics encountered during the partnership will continue.

Additionally, the Polytechnic will identify its needs, search for a new source of funding to roll out and sustain the activities started under the partnerships such as research,

community outreach and training, and curriculum development for planned Honours and Masters Programmes. On their part, CETT/UB commits to continue to host Polytechnic students when they travel to Spain and assist in sourcing new investors for further cooperation. If the next stage of this partnership is as well managed and executed as the first stage, one can expect even greater achievements. And who is best suited to go for second round negotiation if not the initiator?

In December this year, Mr Kavita has planned to travel to Spain again with a new mandate to negotiate the extension of the partnership.

He has learned his lesson the hard way and has promised to dress weather friendly. Assuring Puig that “her brother’s clothes are safe this time”.

“I had a great international exposure. Since my return I incorporated what I learned into my teaching methods”

- Ms Mirjam Sheepo-Sheyapo, a tutor and lab assistant at the

Hotel School.

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Manuel van der Poel enrolled as an exchange student at the Polytechnic of Namibia. During his first week, he was impressed that everybody on campus was helpful and nice to him. He thought it was just a temporary gesture. After six months of studies, he was surprised to note the trend continued. “People were friendly throughout my stay”, he told PIR News.

During his studies at the PON he observed that students do not value group assignments and rather concentrate on memorizing their subjects. This, he suggested should be discouraged as group assignments ought to be a compilation of various inputs.

While at PON he said he appreciated the system of tests and assignments during the semester as it prepared him for final exams.

In Germany, I was used to just one final exam. The PON system in the long term turned out to be better”, he added.

On the quality of the lecturers, he noted “they were generally good”. He was quick to point out that there were however “some lecturers who just read from slides or from the books without explaining further”.

Class discussions were always lively and interesting as “there was always time to discuss the differences between the German systems versus the Namibian way of learning”.

PON Students helpful at all times

“I enjoyed sharing my knowledge with fellow students. Also some arguments came up which were completely new to me. I learned to accept different views”.

He was not impressed with the prejudice Windhoek taxi drivers have towards foreigners. According to him he used to be charged a double.

He said he could also not understand why exchange students were warned about Eveline Street in Katutura during their security briefing.

“Over all, Windhoek was quite a safe place. I never felt uncomfortable, not even in Eveline

Street as I could not distinguish a difference between Eveline Street and other clubs in town. Everywhere in the world you need to be careful at certain places”, the jovial Manuel said. Manuel said he learned that every problem can be solved! When he arrived at the PON he was frustrated by slow internet facilities.

“I felt like being in the Stone Age”, he mockingly said. Adding that he later decided to complain less and learned to survive without internet.He also experienced the best way to eat meat is by eating kapana (fresh barbequed meat).

9Day 1: Arrival

Day 2: Caracal Walk

Day 4: Carnivore Feed

Day 1: Visiting the San Village

Day 2: The Clinic

Day 4: Sossusvlei

Day 2: Research Day 2: Caracal Walk

Day 3: Canyon Climb

Ashley Harbin achieves her objectives Ashley Harbin, a second year student from Park University in Kansas City Missouri, USA returned recently to her home university satisfied with her internship at N/a’an Kuse having addressed most of her objectives.

Sharing her experience with PIR News before her departure after a month’s break in Namibia, Harbin said “I learned many things about myself. I developed into a stronger person and managed to indentify the strengths and weaknesses relating to my career choice”.

Harbin is studying towards a degree in Mathematics and was in Namibia for service learning at N/a’an Kuse Wildlife Sanctuary, through the Study Abroad Africa partnership with the Polytechnic of Namibia.

She is passionate about travelling and learning about other cultures. She loves working with animals, and wants to learn more about animal reproduction which she believes would advance her career in mathematics and biology.

Before she joined the Wildlife Sanctuary, Ashley set her service learning objectives as follows:• Network with at least one wildlife

researcher• Learn more about poaching in

Namibia• Become acquainted with the San

people and learn about their culture

• Become more familiar with Namibia wildlife

• Attend at least one animal tagging and/or tracking expedition

Harbin discovered that African wildlife was her interest, after she became more familiar with Namibian wildlife through networking with wildlife researchers, and having learned more about poaching in Namibia.

“I believe that I will work with African elephant data. I might, however, be limited as to how much direct contact I will have with animals as I am afraid of a lot of elements that are part of everyday life in Africa”.

Detailing her experimental learning she said “I found that there are too many snakes and insects for my liking to be comfortable with when I was hiking in the canyons”.

She said one of her newly discovered fears was being disconnected from family, friends and the rest of the world because of the lack of both internet and cell phone network communication.

“Despite these fears, I have determined that I will often travel to Africa to do field work as part of my studies”, the courageous Harbin stated. She was satisfied with her service learning at N/a’an Kuse because it relates to her career, enriched her knowledge and granted her an experience of a lifetime.

Ms Harbin’s experiential learning at N/a’an Kuse was facilitated by PIR and the Centre for Cooperative Education (CCE).